Stoked

A busy last two weeks it has been, with much on the go...
The arrival of Stef’s new book ‘I Dream of Magda’ is a welcome addition to the library. For those of you who don’t know Stef, he won the Vogel award with this book, so it will be well worth the read. I’m sure you can find it online at either the publisher’s website, Dymocks or Angus & Robertson...

As for me, well, I’ve been catching up with that ‘new friend’ I mentioned a while back. After discovering a place that we were looking at was more trouble than it was worth to get to by using the Tube and Overland trains, we aborted the viewing and decided to peruse nearby Borough Market. We headed over to Covent Garden from there to be entertained by the street theatre in front of the Punch & Judy bar that overlooks the main square of Covent Garden. An Aussie, and quite a funny one at that - complete with mullet wig and stereotypical footy shorts...
Once he was finished, we moved from there to the nearby Roundhouse Pub to spend the afternoon in the sunshine enjoying a few drinks and some of the items we’d picked up at Borough Market - not to mention something from the nearby Australian Shop. (you have to like a girl who likes her Toobs, as you can see below).
Sharon-lea’s friend Okanya joined us a little later. Not long after this, I got a text asking me where I was. It was Darian, who you will recall from Paris (the Canadian that I teamed up with get into Parisian nightlife). He was over with another Canadian, Mike, and was looking for a place to spend the afternoon. So, about a half hour later we had a group of five of us enjoying the afternoon outside the pub in Covent Garden. (That’s Darian, Mike n me above)
As the evening came, Darian and Mike headed back to Mike’s parents place as this is who he was here to see. Meanwhile, Okanya, Shar n myself headed into Chinatown for dinner. It didn’t take long to work out which restaurant to pick. Side by side, and one had a queue of elderly Asians in the door while the other looked rather empty. We joined the queue, and weren’t disappointed with our selection as the food was excellent. A short walk into Leicester Square and it was a couple of shared jugs of Mai Tai’s to round out a very late evening in a club.

Well, the rest of the fortnight has been some house hunting as well as going out and about. Whether it’s been joining the folks from work for “a few” or just Shar n me. Well, we did have to test out some of the local pubs near the places we viewed because that is a pretty important part of where you live! I must admit that it really was refreshing (okay, so I can’t think of a better word) when Shar offered to pay for dinner one night. It’s been a while since it’s not been me paying all the time, but I’ll leave the past there.
I can also vouch for the ride from work out to Wembley Park. Good fun to head out on new roads, even reaching over 50kmh on the Harrow Rd underpass! The place we viewed there was excellent albeit with one minor flaw - the third bedroom was a shoebox with a single bed in it... Hardly suitable.
Other than that, it’s been a bit of planning for this weekend’s trip as well.

Last Sunday, I joined some mates on a coach trip up to Stoke-on-Trent to go see Spurs ‘play’ Stoke. An early start for Paul and myself as we bussed it up to Palmers Green, where we met Petter n Greg. After a quick breakfast we headed down the road to where the coach and everyone else (including Husky n Kel) were.
As you can imagine, on a private coach with a bunch of folks (yep, there were some women onboard), beer flowing and everyone in good spirits, it was a fun trip up to Stoke. Locking ourselves out of the onboard toilet didn’t help, although, 5 guys doing little jigs in a line was pretty funny til someone managed to get it re-opened.
We arrived at Stoke to make our way to a small local football club and bar. Not a huge look around Stoke, but from what I’ve ascertained, there isn’t too much to see here. Considering that it doesn’t get even a paragraph in my Rough Guide to England!!
But I digress... Junction15 basically caters for Away supporters with a full bar and barbeque out the back by the club’s two pitches. And yes, that did mean that there was not only time for a kick around, but a very entertaining one as there wasn’t exactly too much in the way of skills being shown. It does make me laugh when the English are always surprised when an Aussie can kick a football with them...
We did eventually make it to the Britannia stadium for the match, and with a police escort with some of the other coaches from Junction15. The less said about the actual match the better, as it really was “one of those days”, and that goes for the entire game as the ref really did turn it into a farce for both teams. Still, we made our own fun in the stands as the two groups of supporters traded insulting chants and songs...
The trip home had its own moments as well with both the M1 and the M6 having serious car accidents. Being Sunday night, you can imagine the flow of traffic returning to London. Probably not helped by the driver (I suspect) getting lost at one point. Still, I must admit I was surprised when the songs turned to the Sound of Music and Marry Poppins. I’m not sure which was more scary - the few guys that were singing them or that I knew the words! It was very funny though!
2.30am and we finally walked in the front door of home...

Monday was a slow start, although the day improved when we learnt that we were successful on a new place. One that puts me very near too good spots for riding too! Perfect timing with the Hillingdon Criteriums (Crits) due to start a week after we move in! And dare I also mention that my new commute route looks like I'll be riding past Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace each day? (is that bragging?)
Add to this, that a local bar/restaurant in Leadenhall Street has picked Axa as it’s company of the week, so after today’s 2-4-1 burger meals today (I’m here all week... try the Cajun chicken burger...), it’s free steak night tomorrow night!

Happy Days!

Paris (Day Three)

A bit of a sleep-in to start off Day Three. Missed breakfast again, but I was happy to pass on it anyway to head back to another café for what was now to be brunch.
A lovely sunny day, and sitting outside with ‘brunch’ just opposite the Gare de Lyon planning out a way to fill the day. All sorts of Parisians and others going by doing their thing... Certainly made for a nice start to the day, before heading off up Rue de Lyon towards Place de la Bastille. From here the plan was to head through the Marais and those areas north of the River Seine before heading up to Montmartre. With that, I finished off the last Ladurée macaroon, paid the bill and headed off.

After passing Place de la Bastille, I headed towards the river along Boulevard Henri IV, which was a pleasant enough walk in the trees and sunshine. I emerged at the end of it to be at the end of the two islands on the Seine to grab the photo you see at the top of the page.
Heading along the river, I passed and perused the street sellers and their wares, before reaching the square that the Hôtel de Ville resides. From here I headed directly north to make my way to the Pompidou Centre (left). It certainly stands out, as it really is a building with its insides on the outside, and as you can see isn’t quite in tune with regular several hundred year old Parisian buildings in this region. It’s actually a massive gallery and arts centre with a very interesting square out the front that’s full of people doing not a lot or trying to sell you what they have.
Having threaded my way through some of the sellers, I took a wrong turn and ended up at the Tour St-Jacques tower instead of my intended target of the Fontaine des Innocents. It’s not like it mattered, but it did mean that I ran the gauntlet of what would have to be a most unnerving street. As I made my way along it, you could constantly hear small splat noises on the pavement - some nearer than others. A quick look up and I had the answer: trees full of pigeons! Both of the two people in front of me got hit, but I managed to get to the next corner completely unscathed. So much for back tracking, I decided to head down another street and make my way back to where I was going.

It turned out that this wasn’t a bad move either as it took me through some interesting streets (above right), again with all sorts of vendors and cafés lining the way. Especially the crêpe and baguette sellers - damn, they smelt good!! I emerged from one of these laneways into a small square to see the monument you see here on the left - Fontaine des Innocents. This led me to Les Halles, the major (and unsightly) shopping centre. Les Halles gardens opposite were far nicer though, and with the sun out, I decided on an early lunch. A quick trip back to the baguette sellers and a little later I was chilling out in the Jardin des Halles by the flea market just enjoying the sunshine...

It was all very nice, and I could have whiled away the afternoon there, but I had to move on. Through the flea market and onto the rue St-Honoré I went. Happily window shopping jewellery, watches and clothes in all the shops along this street - Cartier, Dior, Bvlgari, Hermés, etc, etc... Sure, I wouldn’t say no to some of what was in the windows, but I’ll leave it for those who believe the label matters.
Onwards and past the Palais Royal and the nice Rolls Royce parked out the front, past the Place Vendôme (a short sidetrack down another street), to Rue Royal and the Place de Madeleine. It was here on Rue Royal that I had to make a small stop. A little store that I’ve mentioned before called Ladurée. This is the original store that has a far nicer salon de thé (tea room). It was here that the line was literally out the door of this small shop. It also snaked back on itself twice inside as well. Unfortunately, even though I bought 20 this time, they didn’t last the week... but they were GOOD!

So heading north past a street painter and La Madeleine, it was off to Montmartre for the afternoon, and I have to thank the person who put me onto this as an area in which to hang out!!
It didn’t take long to reach St-Lazare and the large train station here, along with the masses of people along this stretch. This would have to have been the most crowded place in Paris (that I came across anyway). I continued north-east and then stumbled across an Axa branch, but no, I didn’t go in to see if they had any work there or see about a transfer from London - as tempting as that may be!
Soon I had passed by St-Trinité and its small garden to then head further north and UP towards Montmartre. I say ‘up’ because one description of how to get there is to basically keep heading uphill. Montmartre, and in particular the “Butte” on which is located is the highest point in Paris. The Sacré-Coeur being its crown, but more about that later...

For now, it was just walking uphill, and on a pair of legs that were rather tired after the last two and a half days of covering many kilometres around Paris! It was with that in mind that I took a turn up a street that was not as steep as the one I was currently on, and for that I was to discover somewhere that I will happily be returning to. Rue Fontaine, is where I found myself and this street seems to be the centre of the music stores in Paris. I passed dozens of them, even drooling over some of what was in the windows, however, the real drooling was about to happen.
One little shop that stood out simply by not being a music store was A L’ Etoile D’or, which is a Chocolaterie. Denise Acabo is the elderly woman who runs this small one room shop, and she positively bubbles with her passion for chocolate. Just the smell in the place was divine, not to mention the two samples I tried. Naturally, I ended up leaving with the “best in the store” - a block of Bernachon (Dark Orange), and at €10 for the 150g block it certainly didn’t disappoint! Seriously, who the hell is Cadbury anyway?! I truly have not had better (yet), and it managed to survive up until today!!
Anyway, with the unopened block safely stashed in my pack, I continued up, knowing that this is a store I will definitely return to, and not just for the entertainment of Denise’ eccentricities. After about a minute of walking I came to a large intersection only to see a rather famous location across the road - Moulin Rouge is what I was looking at. Nothing flash during the day without the lights on. Just a small hoard of camera happy tourists out the front and on the roundabout in the middle of the intersection. Seen it, move on, and that’s what I did.
Up Rue Lepic, which is full of little ice-creameries and crêpe shops as well as other cafés and grocery stores. This led me to rue Abbesses, which is one of the main streets of Montmartre, and a fantastic road to wander along. There were all sorts along this road. Street-side grocers, cafés, bars, restaurants and all manner of shops. Quite bohemian really and with a great atmosphere to it as well. Enjoy the “jazz” band on the roadside at Pl de Abbesses. Pretty much do as you want here. Even help an Indian family with directions to the Sacré-Coeur. I do like my Rough Guide - just brilliant for finding your way around!
One thing that it did say was that there was no wrong way to get to the Sacré-Coeur, so with that in mind, I chose a quieter street off Place de Abbesses and continued up. A very typical European street/lane really. Just something really nice about it, until I followed the bend in it that revealed the series of steps in front of me - and to think that I thought some of the streets were steep before!!
Nice that there were two pubs at the top of these steps!
From here I chose to go left instead of right only to discover another set of steps, which weren’t as long. At the top of these was (and still is) a small square which has both a café and a lookout, even if it is through the trees to see Paris below!
Round the corner and I was suddenly in the Place du Tertre, and what a fantastic spot this is! A square within a square. Restaurants, Brassieres, cafés, ice creameries & crêpes along with dozens of street artists and a street band. The less said about the mime, the better... I’ll give him credit for being out there, but I’ll leave it at that. Perusing the artwork on show, fresh chocolate & banana crêpe in hand before settling in front of the street band in the sunshine and shade of the trees - could it get much better than this for the afternoon? Possibly.
Eventually, the boys in the band took a break so I headed out of the square and up the cobbled roadway to finally reach the Sacré-Coeur. This is a very large ‘church’. I say it like that because I really couldn’t tell what denomination it was from its structure. If you mashed a mosque and a church together, then you’d be close to it (as you can see). Not much point in going in as it seemed it was all happening out the front on the main steps. And what a view from here!
Time to settle in on the steps with everyone else, with a drink and enjoy the view, the buskers and the sunset... Nice to rest the legs and what a way to do it. If you click on the pic (below left) of the view here to see a larger version, see if you can find the other busker. I’ll give you a clue: that’s not a statue down there by the lamppost.

With the sun eventually sauntering out of the sky and the temperature dropping, it was time to fill the void that the earlier crêpe had not, so back to Place du Tertre and the restaurants. Jaunty tweed caps, braces and typical long white aprons were the go for the staff, and while entertaining, the food was nowhere near as kitsch.
After a short stroll around the caricature corner of the square (the artists in this spot were all doing portraits or caricatures), it was time to head back down the steps and laneways to make my way back to where this had all began - Gare du Nord railway station. This time I went down the main steps that lay directly in front of the Sacré-Coeur amid the throngs of people.
Feeling pretty good, I continued through the street stalls along rue de Steinkerque and into the far more modern rue de Dunkerque. Thankfully this was all downhill or flat until I reached the station where it was short matter of going through ‘customs’ before boarding the Eurostar back to London.
A fantastic three days in a place that will be one to visit and re-visit many more times over. And for less than £60 return and only a couple hours door to door each way, why wouldn’t you?!

Paris (Day Two)

A bit of a well earned sleep-in and I’d missed the hostel’s free breakfast - not that I was interested in it anyway as I’d rather have breakfast in a café. Just round the corner was the spot and in the sunshine too. Again, I survived the ordering process with no English and no reference to ‘Allo ‘Allo...

That done, it was off past the Gare du Lyon to cross the Seine again. This time, instead of following the river, I headed west through the Latin Quarter towards Montparnasse. Through the streets with their autumn brown leaves, past another small streetside market and eventually reaching the Square De L’ Abbé Migne, which is another lane-less roundabout with a large statue in the middle.

Just down the road a bit from here is the entrance to the Catacombs, and it was this that I had come to see. Not your standard Parisian tourist attraction, but still somewhat busier than I had expected. Below Pairs are miles of these catacombs and tunnels that were originally from the quarries used to build the city. In the mid 1700’s they also became a convenient place in which to store the remains of over six million ex-Parisians due to all the cemeteries becoming seriously overcrowded. This was but one section of this.
These tunnels are dank (excluding the one on the right), a little claustrophobic in parts and go on for far longer than I thought they would. Naturally they are entered through - you guessed it - a stone spiral staircase. This opened up into a small museum that gave you the history of this section of tunnels, before you headed into the catacombs themselves.
Eerie they were, although not all that eerie thanks to two nattering women that had entered just behind me. Amazing that what Johann had been up to, as well as that being the sort of conversation that I’d have thought would be the last thing on your mind while going through these caves! But there you go...
It took a while before we reached the tunnels that housed the bones, and it was certainly something to see. Very surreal really, and hard to describe the continuous stacking of bones that went on for several kilometres, so you’ll just have to look at the pic and take it from there. Yes, what you’re seeing between the pillars are stacked femurs (thigh bones) with skulls interspersed - the other bones are all behind these ‘walls’. It did reach a point where I was wondering just how much longer the catacombs and bones went for, and even then it took some time before they finished. The entire walk lasted for well over an hour so you can imagine how much ground we covered in the tunnels.

Once back into the day, it was time to head somewhere a little less grim - the Jardin du Luxembourg. I made my way there via the Paris Observatory and for the second time this year I straddled the Greenwich Meridian. I continued along this line down through the Avenue De L’Observatoire between the sculptured trees and grass to then enter the ‘Gardens of Luxembourg’. These are impressive in their size and layout. A great spot to just chill out with a book, or even a game of boules (pétanque), which is exactly what I settled in to do. I got no reading done as I ended up watching and then getting involved in a social game of pétanque. Certainly far from easy, and that’s just to get the technique right, let alone know what the rules are - although I suspect they’re somewhat similar to lawn bowls, but with an aerial aspect to them...
The game was ended prematurely as the heavens opened and the rain came pouring down, so the shelter of a large tree would do. Today’s forecast was for heavy showers throughout the day, but the sun still got a good showing.
After assisting a lady with the time, I was heading back towards St-Germain when I came across the St Sulphice church, its small square and fountain (left). An interesting photo exhibition filled the square that encircled the fountain with some rather impressive photographs (even if modified by photoshop or some other programme). I continued from here through the laneways of St-Germain and past many different clothing stores, many of which had rather exorbitant price tags in the windows too! It was amongst these shops that I found something that would be a large tick in the “25 Ultimate Experiences: France” guide book - Ladurée. Now this wasn’t the original Ladurée, which the guide mentions, but even if it’s another branch it would do for both its intention and to shelter from the next shower that was just beginning. It is a patisserie of quite some fame, so it said, and the queue was up to the door when I entered. Thankfully the lady behind the counter serving me spoke fluent English and took me through the selection. They are most famous for the macarons (that’s macaroons to us), and I ended up with a selection and box of eight. Although there were more flavours I could have chosen from, I’d spent enough on these. Time to head into their little café for a coffee while the rain came down and also partake of one of their larger pastries - okay, so it was a tart that I ended up with. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, no, I couldn’t try the macaroons I’d just bought - not in the café anyway as the waiter sternly told me.

Once I was done and the rain had stopped, I headed back into the laneways to end up back at the Seine and the Pont Neuf. Crossing this bridge put me at the western most point of the Ile de Citie where the divided Seine reunites (or is that, where the united Seine divides?). The Square Du Gert-Valant was a tranquil little park and a nice spot to just sit, rest the legs and watch the barges on the Seine. Also a good spot to try the recently bought macaroons - le magnifiqué!!
Back up to street (bridge) level and I was on my way again trying very hard to resist the urge to get stuck into the remaining Ladurée macaroons! Heading west along the northern bank in the sun and I came upon the impressive building that was (and still is) the Louvre. When I reached the archway through to its grounds I headed for the Arc du Carrousel instead of towards the Louvre itself.
Like Notre Dame the day before, this wasn’t the intended afternoon venue, so after a brief look I continued under the Arc and through the Jardin du Carrousel with its sculptures and artistic layout of trees, shrubs, etc... This took me through the Jardin des Tuileries with its large pond and fountains before finishing at the Obélisque in the middle of the Place De La Concorde. It is here that the Avenue Des Champs Elysees begins. And this is what I wanted to do this afternoon - stroll the length of it up to the Arc de Triomphe. The first half of the Avenue was lined with anything and everything that was involved in the 100 year history of the French Aerospace Industry. Planes, missiles, helicopters, rockets and all sorts were on display, so after a bit I opted to walk the gardens that were further to the side of the avenue itself.
Past this, I entered the main section of the Champs Elysees, which is like a massive shopping main street, and it was PACKED with people. Everything seemed to be available along here including a Mercedes Benz dealership, as well as such shops as Cartier and the like. The €40,000 Cartier watch did look nice, but I wasn’t in the mood to buy it today... yeah right!
Finally, I reached the Arc, and was surprised by not just its size, but also by the chaos of traffic that was encircling it! While I had hoped to ride a bike along the Champs Elysees - even asking one fellow to borrow his bike (yes, he thought I was nuts too) - I’m glad I didn’t because I’m sure I’d have been an instant roadkill upon reaching the Arc!
But I digress... Through the underpass and I was in line to grab a ticket and head up to the top of the Arc. Two hundred and eighty-something steps awaited, and as usual, they were a continuous spiral. I reached the top and after letting the dizziness pass, had a look around in the large room inside before heading up the final two stairways to the observation deck. Not quite as impressive as the night time view from the Tower Eiffel, but still impressive none-the-less. A good view of the mayhem on the road below too, and it didn’t look to be as mad as I first thought - there was some order to it.
With the viewing done, and having taken yet another couple’s photo for them, I headed back down. When we emerged at the base, we discovered that there was some sort of ceremony going on around the grave of the Unknown Soldier. Just after it finished, one of the women involved opened the barriers and motioned that we could pass through. Now, while I wasn’t the first through, I did venture around the front of the grave and flame to take the pic you see here. Only I didn’t realise that we weren’t supposed to be out there. I discovered that as I walked towards the Champs Elysees only to be suddenly confronted by a member of the French military - oops!
Quickly returning to the rest of the riff-raff and we made our way through the allowed areas back to the underpass that led to the Champs Elysees. This time I went down the opposite side to investigate the shops and cafés along this side. Again, the heavens opened up for a heavy but brief shower and sheltering under the nose section of an airliner made for a rather unique place to stay dry.
By this stage, as I returned to the two main gardens (Jardin des Tuileries and du Carrousel), what parts of the sun that could be seen through the clouds was setting. It was still a pleasant enough walk through them towards the Louvre, but it was time to put the feet up and find some sort of dinner.

Seeing the queues at the large glass pyramid in the centre of the Louvre’s grounds suggested that my intended night-time exploration of this museum would probably be best left to another time. On Wednesdays and Fridays the Louvre is open until around 10pm and ‘allegedly’ the crowds are thinner - yep, another one of the 25 Ultimate Experiences is to do the Louvre at night.
Passing the Arc de Carrousel, I saw another hole in the ground similar to the one by Notre Dame that led to my discovering the Crypte Archéologique. I headed down these stairs to discover that there is not only an alternative entrance to the Louvre, but a whole massive underground series of shops, food court and other exhibitions that covers two levels alone. After taking a bit of a look around these hallways, the food court made for a handy stop for dinner and somewhere to rest a certain pair of tired and sore feet. It also made for a good moment to whip out the rough guide and suss out the section on the Louvre. After finishing up I pulled out the small box from Ladurée only for an older fellow to see and laugh as I did. Bad luck buddy, but you’re not getting one!

Past the inverted glass pyramid that was at the centre of these malls and into the Louvre I went. I headed for the Denon ‘wing’. It is here that some of the most famous works are displayed, including that certain smiling ‘lady’ painted by Da Vinci himself.
I spent a couple hours here strolling the halls of this side of the Louvre checking out works by Botticelli, Delacroix, Da Vinci, Pisarro, Véronése, even finding works by both Constable and Turner (which I didn’t expect!). I must admit that I had expected to see more known masterpieces than I did. Still, the hub-bub around the Mona Lisa was quite interesting to see, even if I was more impressed by Véronése’s ‘Wedding Feast at Cana’, which was opposite - as you can see above it’s not a small work.
I’m honestly not sure which I found more interesting at times, the works or the people viewing them. Don’t get me wrong, as there were some stunning pieces, but most are from an era that seemed obsessed with religious scenes, nudity or both. I guess in a time before cameras, film and magazines this may have been the ‘porn’ of the time? Take Delacroix’s ‘Lady Liberty leading the People’ (right), whilst amazing for its size, you do kinda question one aspect of the scenario itself... Moving right along, I did have a chuckle at several of the David & Goliath paintings, as they all had Goliath’s head with a large scare in the middle of his forehead. Remember where David’s stone was supposed to have struck him? Fair dues though, as painters weren’t noted anatomists... And I did have to have a chuckle at the positioning of this painting of the fellow on the left, as you too can no doubt see that it looks like he’s indicating that something is up with the painting next to him. Who said the French have a strange sense of humour? (you might need to click on each of these two pics to see them as their larger selves to see what I'm getting at)

But I digress... One of the most impressive sections had to be the Apollo Gallery (pictured on the right - again you may want to click on it to see a larger version) as the entire gallery was a work as it celebrated a history of France. It may have been quite small, but it was still amazing to walk through. The walls and ceiling were exquisitely crafted and painted.

Anyway, eventually I left the Louvre having probably only scratched the surface of what is there, but there’s nothing stopping me returning again to check out the other levels and wings of the entire place. I certainly wasn’t ready for its size.

Back across the river and into the cafés and bars of St-Germain again to find somewhere for a quiet beer or few and to put the feet up. After a while in Café Conti, I was approached by another lone guy who’d been at the other end of the café. Out of nowhere comes “You’re Australian, right?” It turned out that Darien was Canadian and this was his second day here after moving over. Being from Toronto and not Quebec, his French wasn’t all that great, but it was enough to get by on. He asked if I knew any good places to go and drink at, and all I knew was this was supposed to be one of the better areas. As we were discussing where we might go, another guy, Joel, asked us if we knew where there might be a good spot to go.
So this American, a Canadian and an Australian walk into a bar... Alright, as clichéd as that is, it did happen quite a few times during this night. Darien and his ability to speak to the doormen certainly helped, as it also did for breaking the ice with the ladies. Don’t ask me why, but it seemed at times that they were more interested in scruffy Aussies than Americans or Canadians - who was I to argue?
I got back to the hostel at just after 4am, and no, you don’t get any pics. ;) So just enjoy this one...

Paris (Day One)

Firstly a quick ‘Welcome to London’ Lise, as she’s arrived here from Melbourne for the next two years. Good to see a familiar face and spend Wednesday evening in both Gordon’s Wine Bar and dinner on Leicester Square.

Train tickets: £59 return on the Eurostar
Accommodation: €45
3 Days in Paris: Priceless

Okay, so tacky credit card ads aside, on Thursday morning it was time to hit the continent again. A 6.30am Eurostar train out of London and I was in Paris before 10am - with less than 20mins to check-in and far less crowds it does make the airlines a worse option for such a trip.
Coming out of the Channel Tunnel into sunshine and the French countryside was pretty nice. First up it wasn’t that much different to other European countries, but still has its own uniqueness. This got stronger and stronger, the further into France we went. Granted, I didn’t see all of it as I dozed a few times as well.
Leaving Gare du Nord station, and after having to adjust to the bright sunshine, I headed left (or east) along the Rue La Fayette. Nothing particularly spectacular about this road/street (as you can see), but it took me to the top of the Canal St-Martin.
I had to make my way to where I was staying down by Gare de Lyon, and what better way to get there than walk. Sure, I could have taken the Metro, but I’d have been underground and seen nothing but French train passengers...

Canal St-Martin was somewhere that was recommended to me by Peter n Jude, and it didn’t disappoint. Perfect for a late morning stroll in the sunshine, through the parks and locks, with the French cafés and shops along the other side of the roads. Down one of the roads crossing over the canal, I spied a rather large square and statue, which upon further investigation was the Place de la Republique. This was my first real experience with French traffic as it was basically a large round about with obligatory statute in the middle. I soon made my way back to the canal.

As I got closer to where the canal goes under what’s left of the Bastille, it became a large street market, and one that had quite a large range of things on offer. There didn’t seem to be any order to the stalls either with one of the fishmongers being next to the handbag seller.
The market opened up into the Place de La Bastille which is where the Bastille used to be, and is now just a massive traffic round-about with the Colonne de Juillet (a statue of Liberty atop a large bronze column). On the opposite side of this place of traffic chaos, the canal then turns into a marina before opening up into the River Seine. Naturally, I continued my way along here to the Seine.

Again, another left turn and a stroll along the Seine past the hobo ‘villages’ under the next bridge and I was back streetside, past the Gare de Lyon and checked in. It seems that homelessness in Paris is very common, and this was something that I saw more and more of over the next three days.
Right, so with the backpack locked in the 3 bed dorm that was home for the next two nights, it was off to explore the regions I’d planned for the afternoon and evening. Not that the word ‘plan’ is quite what it was, as it only consisted of being two places I wanted to visit with the rest being the general direction to get there. Everything in between would just be ‘que sera sera’...
On my way back to the south side of the Seine, I stopped in small Patisserie for lunch. The first test of being able to communicate with what little French I knew and had sussed out from the language section of my Rough Guide. Success and a few laughs later with the friendly ladies behind the counter (one, at least, knew some English), and I had my first pieces of typical French fare - baguette and tart. My timing was spot on too because while I was in there eating, I avoided the sudden shower that came down.

With the rain having passed it wasn’t long before I was off again and making my way along the southern bank of the Seine, where I came across a master and student of what looked to be mix of tai chi and variation of kung fu. I stopped to watch for a while and admire the form of the instructor.
Back on my way and it was through the trees and artworks that line the paths along the bank here. Avoiding the few cyclists that came through here, I was soon strolling along opposite the first of the two islands in the middle of the Seine. Up to street level and past the street sellers as the back of Notre Dame and the second of the two islands came into view - see the pic at the very top of the page.
Crossing the Seine I came upon a gate with a sign pointing to a small garden at the very end of this island called the Mémorial de la Déportation. It’s a monument to the 160,000 French killed in the concentration camps of World War II. It is rather an interesting spot for what is effectively a below ground triangular courtyard of empty concrete. It has one small gap in the wall that leads you under the park above and into the memorial itself. Inside is a small corridor to look down (that you can see on the left), and along each wall is row upon row of white pebbles - one for each person killed. In the little room in front of the corridor were inscriptions on the walls, and this is where the ability to read French would have helped, as the only thing written in English is “Silence”. It was still an interesting experience in that atmosphere with several others moving about in total silence.
After heading back through the park and across the road, I was in grounds of Notré Dame. Here at the back of the cathedral, is another park that is somewhat larger than the one I’d just been through. Moving along the river side of the cathedral provided both views of the activities along the river and views of the cathedral’s amazing architecture and sculptures.
Around the front of the cathedral and I was in a square full of tourists and pigeons. Don't consider eating here or you will be mobbed by the pigeons as one poor woman discovered the hard way! For some reason, as a lone tourist it seems that one of your duties is to take other people’s pictures for them. I don’t know if this is being mistaken for a local who’s passing by when you’re by yourself, but this was the second time today.
Anyway, Cathédrale de Notre-Dame - impressive in its size and architecture. Did I go in? Nope, I can do that another time when the queues are somewhat shorter and I’m prepared to spend the time to go through it. Besides, it wasn’t my intended target for the afternoon, and that venue would need a sizeable amount of time once I got there! Instead I chose to venture down the stairs at the back of the square to discover something a little different - the origins of Paris. This is the Crypte Archéologique, and is the ruins that are the earliest found in Paris - pre-dating Roman times by a serious amount of time. Although you can't quite see it in the pic on the left, they actually cover a fair amount of ground as they stretch under the square above, and the humidity in there does make it a bit oppressive - could be why there was a defibrillator on the wall as you go in...

Right, so back over the River Seine goes I, and down along Rue St-Jacqués, but not for long. Upon sighting the first laneway leading off this street, I decided to investigate. One of the best parts about just walking everywhere is exactly this - finding interesting little spots like the Rue de la Huchette (right). Crammed with all sorts of little shops and cafés and restaurants, it was far nicer to wander through here than down a main street.
Several turns and several of these sorts of laneways later, I emerged on to the Boulevard St-Germain, which is where I was basically heading as it lead pretty much to where I wanted to go. Again, however, I was sidetracked into another laneway and was passing by Paris’ oldest coffee house, Le Procope. I didn’t stop to go in as I thought I’d come back later when I felt more like a coffee. Funnily enough, that urge arose about two blocks later and I ended up spending some time just enjoying a streetside coffee watching the bustle of Parisians in the street as well as those in the other cafés around me. With the sun shining, well... you can imagine how nice it was at “Café de Paris” (left).
Taking the Rue de Seine back towards the River Seine was a good eye-opener too as there were dozens of little art galleries along this narrow street. Some fascinating works in the windows too! What was I saying about just finding interesting stuff?
Back at the Seine it was time to make my way along the riverbanks to where I was headed, and from what I could see (and you can too here), the sooner the better. I could admire the Ste Chapelle and western end of the Ile de Citie later! I got to my destination none too soon as the heavens opened up just as I reached the main entrance.

Thursday evenings are the one evening that the Musée d’Orsay is open late, which is what gave me an extended afternoon of exploration and would let me have more than enough time to go through this gallery. The Musée d’Orsay itself is pretty impressive, as it is a refurbished train station of a similar time to the works of art within - quite fitting really. Basically, the artwork in the Louvre finishes at around 1850, which is where the Impressionists kick off (followed by all the other interesting artistic movements of the next seventy years). Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Seurat and the others of this era are all here. These are the fellows I studied, so now was the chance to see some of their original works (although I suspect that those on the other side of the thin cable ‘fence’ aren’t the actual originals). One thing that I noticed pretty quickly was the distinct lack of security with regard to taking photos, and that’s with or without a flash. Something that at most other galleries I’ve been to are very strict about, which added to my above suspicion. They did however have the lighting at such a level as to give you a good view, but still make it difficult to take a good photo. Nice to see Whistler’s Mum there too! (no that's not her on the right - that's a Renoir)

After spending a fair amount of time here while the rain pelted down outside, and getting a good look at the likes of Seurat’s ‘Cirque’, Van Gogh’s self portrait and others, it was time to head towards the second of the day’s targets. The rain outside had passed and with the skies clearing, I headed through the Esplanade des Invalides, past the Hôtel de Invalides, through some interesting back streets to the Parc du Champs de Mars to that funny looking blue structure you can see on the left.
I’d been told (and read) that the best time to visit and climb the Tower Eiffel is at night. I was also warned to bring a book for the queue and I’m happy to say that it wasn’t needed at all! I effectively had to wait behind about three people at the ticket counter. It didn’t take long though before the lift to the first level was packed, and up we went. Can’t say I’ve been in a lift that goes up on an angle before - most disorientating as you try to balance in those first few moments.
Soon we were deposited on the second level to see the views as well as change over to the second lift that goes straight up the middle to the top. I let the hoards head straight for the lift while I checked out the views from this level. If I thought that Paris looked pretty spectacular by night from here, well... little did I know what was to come.
Up the lift went with myself and the driver being it. Through the windows you can see the inside of the structure as well as the views as you go up - interesting experience when there’s vertigo involved! Once at the top the view from the observation decks were pretty awesome despite the cold and the wind. A little thing that they do to the tower for the first ten minutes of every hour on the hour is turn it into a Christmas tree. Okay, not quite, but thousands of strobe lights go off and make the entire structure sparkle. This began just before I headed back down (and after taking several people’s pictures for them). Firstly the view down the side of the tower while it’s sparkling is one thing. To then be going down through the centre of it during the same occurrence was kind of bizarre but still very cool - where was the dance music in the lift?? The view looking up you can see here too if you play the video...

Back on terra firma and having run the gauntlet of dogey souvenir guys trying to sell you their Tower Eiffel trinkets, it was time for a leisurely stroll along the River Seine at night with everything around it lit up for the night.

Eventually, I made my way back to St-Germain and the laneways full of restaurants and cafés - time for dinner. Having perused a few of the menus by the doors I ended up choosing a small place called Le Petit Zinc. I couldn’t find it in the guide book (until the next day) so thought I’d give it a try. A somewhat awkward decision, as it was a little more up market than I thought - will make sure I have a collar on next time I come here!! It did feel like I had just whisked back about 50 years by the Art Nouveau décor of the place. Too bad, it was time to try typical French cuisine, which was probably the most touristy order going - Gros Escargot (snails) for entree and the Grand Mariner Soufflé for desert. As for the main, well, that was a rather ordinary choice based more on what it would do for me nutritionally with all the trekking I’d done and would still be doing. Still, Poulet sounds chic, but was really just a chicken risotto. Not only were the garlic snails quite tasty, the soufflé was superb. A bit of an opulent meal in the end, but stuff it, this was Paris and not something that I was going to deny myself (but I’m still not saying just how much the bill was!). Regardless of that price tag, I’d still like to head back and try the seafood platter that was brought to the next table, which I discovered later was this restaurant’s speciality!!

A quiet coffee in another café afterwards before realising that it was now around midnight and that I’d been up since just before 5am. Time to head back to the hostel for bed. One last thing to finish the day off, and that was to assist some Parisians with directions!! (I’d just passed the bar they were looking for, but they were impressed that I knew where it was.) Back down the remainder of Boulevard St-Germain to the Seine and a stroll back to the hostel feeling pretty contented about my first day in this amazing city...